"
At Gloucester a special room was built, probably in
the fourteenth century. Durham apparently did without
a room until early in the fifteenth century. "There ys a
lybrarie in the south angle of the lantren, whiche is nowe
above the clocke, standinge betwixt the Chapter-House
and the Te Deum wyndowe, being well replenished with
ould written Docters and other histories and ecclesiasticall
writers."[1] To this room the books were transferred gradually
from the cloister and chancellery: the words "in libraria,"
or "Ponitur in libraria," being written in the margin of the
catalogue opposite to the book upon its removal.
[1] Surtees Soc., xv., Durham Rites, 26.
The Benedictine houses of Winchester, Worcester, Bury
St. Edmunds,[1] and St. Albans also had special bookrooms.
[1] C. 1429-45. Most likely over the cloister. The books seem to
have been arranged flat on sloping desks, to which they were
chained.--James (M. R.) 1, 41.
For the safe keeping of the conventual books the
preceptor was responsible.[1] As he had charge of the
armarium or press for storing books, he was also sometimes
styled "armarius.
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